Visit the Viñales Valley in Cuba: reservations

Visit the Viñales Valley in Cuba, a valley full of incredible culture, greenery and geological formations.

Just a few hours to pass from the Cuban capital tripodante, Havana, to a breathtaking green setting. If the contrast is striking, the landscape is also discovered. This natural beauty is called the valley of Viñales. This emerald campaign, steeped in mogotes and hauled with splendid trees, has even been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. At the turn of the rounded mountains, you cross the authentic houses with palm roofs and the peasants with cowboy hats.

During your trip to Cuba, it’s impossible to make the impasse on this wonderful and typical national park. Romantic, sporty and bucolic, it is also a place that has many surprises and activities. Here is our mini guide to visit the Viñales Valley in Cuba.

History of the Viñales Valley in Cuba

At the start of Havana, you leave a cinema scenery, the rhythms, the old American cars, for a bowl of fresh air. The orange trees, palm trees and trees crowned with flowers are surrounded by lush vegetation. Only mogotes, these small, emblematic and hot mountains, give relief to this infinite. These endemic buttes are born from limestone erosion and are pierced by countless secret caves. Tobacco plants, wood bohíos, sugar cane plantations and peasants testify to the entire history of the country and its art of living.

Visiting the Viñales valley in Cuba is discovering a unique place where vegetation is queen and where the red land quadhes the landscape. Under the greenery, white stone, limestone formations and karst reliefs sleep from the Jurassic.

As early as the 17th century, farmers saw a tremendous potential for livestock, then tobacco and sugar cane. A fried agriculture of these soils. The climate is also conducive, with a dry season without precipitation and mild temperatures. The guajiros, the Cuban peasants on horseback or in the cart, still use the agricultural techniques of old. The mechanization of agriculture makes the product of less quality, including tobacco. This is why they work by hand and maintain ancestral know-how.

But the beauty of the Viñales valley is also invisible at the first glance. Underground rivers pass through the national park and then spring into small streams.

What to see and do in the Viñales Valley in Cuba?

Grimper with the mirador

Visiting the Viñales valley in Cuba necessarily goes through the heights. Why not start that way? On the terrace of the famous Los Jaminez hotel, three kilometers from Viñales, the mirador opens on a breathtaking viewpoint. The whole valley of Viñales offers you. And how happy to look at such a panorama! Enjoy the wifi, a traditional lemonade or the freshness of the pool for 7 CUC.

Hiking in the valley of Viñales

On foot, by horse, by bike, by guided tours or by solo, there is a way to seduce all types of hikers. Regardless of the means of transport, it’s an impossible! Explore this valley by swiping its plantations, trodging its red land, frosting its rough mountains, sneaking into its caves and through its yuccas.

During your hikes, we told you, you must absolutely explore a cave. Among the most famous:

• The Cueva del Indio: discovered in 1920, it houses archaeological remains and rock paintings dating from the pre-Columbian era. It is located six kilometres north of Viñales village.
• Grand Caverna de Santo Tomas: dug 17 kilometers from the village of Viñales, this cave is the largest in Cuba. The visit lasts an hour and a half, with a guide, and allows you to discover an ancient refuge for slaves.

For a more beautiful experience, do not hesitate to visit the Viñales valley in Cuba at the first rays of the sun. At dawn, the colours are sumptuous, the national park is flooded with a pink mist.

Visit La Ciudad de Viñales

This village, nestled at the entrance gates of the Viñales valley in Cuba, has many attractions. The charm operates immediately. Small houses are full of colours, chickens and horses are walking around the streets and older people are swinging on rocking chairs. You will find a quiet and friendly atmosphere, inviting to relaxation. Nature enthusiasts will love the botanical garden full of orchids and fragrant fruit trees.

In the evening, the central square becomes the epicentre of the celebration, the gathering of Cuban youth and rumba and samba dancers. Enjoy the street show, a handmade mojito.

Visit a cigar factory

Cuba’s cigars are not the symbol of the country! It falls well, visiting the Viñales Valley in Cuba also allows you to visit the most famous cigar factories. The region is the first producer thanks to the hard, ancestral and rigorous work of the premises. You find out how thorough the manufacture of the cigar is. From the drying of the leaves, to the long hours in the gala, to the marketing, the Cuban cigar reveals all its secrets. As for the tasting, it is probably more protocolary than you think.

Another possibility: visit a hacienda of rum or coffee, other iconic products of the region.

Admirer Mural de la Prehistoria

Literally, this Wall of Prehistory, is a fabulous fresco, a hundred and eighty meters high and a hundred and eighty meters long. This painting was made on the limestone walls of a mogote in the 1960s by a famous painter. It represents the evolution of Cuba, from prehistory to Men.

The place welcomes a restaurant and hiking trails. Notably one, leading you to the heights of the mogote. You then access an exceptional view of the Viñales valley in Cuba.

Bronz in Caribbean paradise

Take the road for an hour and a half. The beach of Cayo des Jutias opens the doors of a Caribbean paradise, as in your dreams! The turquoise water is ground on the white sand, the woods float through the wild benches and the palm trees dip their branch over you.

Another beach in the wake of earthly paradise: Cayo Levisa.

How to get to the Viñales Valley in Cuba?

To visit the Viñales Valley in Cuba, visit the province of Pinar del Rio, west of Cuba. You must first go to the village of Viñales, the entrance door of the valley.

The main departures take place Havana . Obviously, to get to Havana, you will need to take a plane. You will naturally find the best deals for flights to Cuba via our partner's website Ulysses .

Bus

Two buses depart daily from the capital to Viñales, one in the morning and one in the early afternoon. A Viazul bus ride to the national park costs 12 CUC and takes a little over three and a half hours. Another company, Cubanacan, organizes the liaison.

Nevertheless, think about booking your place, Viñales is very touristic!

In collectivo

Collective taxis are an interesting way to get to the Viñales valley. There is an average of 20 CUC for a trip from your hotel or to Havana. The journey time is shorter than by bus.

By car

By private taxi (for 70 CUC) or old American rented in Havana (80 CUC per day) you can easily get to the Viñales valley.

Rates of the Viñales Valley in Cuba

Want to visit the Viñales Valley in Cuba? Admission to the National Park is free. However, on-site activities are paid. There are packages including several visits. Do not hesitate to contact your hotel or casa. Prices can vary from agency to agency.

For information purposes, the average price is as follows:

• a three-hour horseback hike is 25 CUC;
• a three and a half hour walk is 10 CUC;
• for an entry to Cueva de Santo Tomas is 10 CUC;
• a cigar is 3 CUC;
• a bike rental is 10 CUC the day;
• a trip to Cayo Jutias is 30 CUC.

Finally, know that you can enjoy the Valley of Viñales Cuba at all times of the year.